Thread: Square of an exponential function: simpler form?

It's part of a quantum course, but the problem I'm having is pretty straight math.

There are two similar functions I need to square. I can do it fine, but the question calls for 'simplified form' and I'm struggling to simplify.

They are and . Take the subtraction example (the only difference with the other one is a sign): I get .

Is there a way to express this more simply?

Use [TEX] ... [/TEX] tags instead of [tex] ... [/tex] tags.

Edit: Looks like you already did.

Originally Posted by Bravus

Is there a way to express this more simply?

Not really. You can factor out from the last two terms, but this is not much simpler.

Thanks very much. Guess I'll check with the tutor tomorrow and see whether they had something in mind, but it's reassuring that at least I wasn't just missing something simple. ;-)

Thanks again.

AAaahh. Just to wrap up the question in case anyone else has a similar one.

My mistake was that in quantum mechanics 'squaring' is actually (sometimes) shorthand for multiplying something by its complex conjugate, rather than simply by itself. I needed to multiply by ... and *that* does get simpler, particularly with some judicious application of Euler's identity.

Thanks again.